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Welcome to my “Life & Ph.D” site. Here and in all my work I support people who are embarked on a difficult quest. People who want to develop something important to themselves. Often something ambitious. They face the ups and downs of a long-term, personal project with little or no external structure and often not much support. It can be a Ph.D (my main specialty), freelancedom, a book project for example, or “just” life.

In such projects, though fascinating, there are confusing moments, desperating moments, doubts. A Ph.D, for instance, can certainly bring you to your limits. You go way beyond the usual challenges you had mastered before. The new challenges have a different, sometimes unexpected quality. A Ph.D, among other things, works like a mirror that throws back a candid image of yourself. What you see in that mirror is not always what you expected and not always something you like. I help you look into that mirror with the curiosity of a scientist, even if the first impulse is to look away. You embrace that image, learn what there is to learn and advance.

Let’s go through the mirror together and step into a life in which you pursue your project and feel your progress. Or in which you decide, after seeing yourself in that mirror, to quit or redefine the project to suit you better. And you feel your progress.

What support formats do I offer?

Indivudual Coaching Sessions: I support my clients gladly in individual coaching sessions, in which I accompany them in their reflections. In one single session or regularly. It’s all about you, your plans, your wishes, your challenges.

Group Coaching: If you can invest a little more time, group coaching might be something for you. A small group (about 3-4 people) meets regularly. Each participant becomes support one at a time, unless common topics call for bundling. When appropriate, the group is asked for contributions.

Success Teams: Particularly in the case of long-term projects, it may be worthwhile to build up a sustainable support system. To this end, I am leading success teams. A success team is a small group, with each member pursuing a personal goal for which the team receives support at regular meetings. After the instruction phase the team works indefinitely and without guidance.

University Workshops: On the subject of time and self-management in the doctorate, I offer various workshops at many Universities and research institutes. You get an overview of the topic as well as experience and motivation.

What do my customers say about my work?

“Maria listens very intently to what one has to say. Whether the problem is time management or simply lack of focus and motivation, she asks questions to get to the root of the problem. She is very easy to talk to which made it very easy to share my feelings. She listened to my issues and problems with my environment and was able to give me an explanation for each situation and also exercises to help myself. A very interesting and important question she asked me about my feelings towards my problems was “What did I learn about myself?””
Workshop participant

“[…] Sometimes it is difficult to see the forest for the trees in life. As a coach, Maria gave me a clear external view of my situation. She cuts right to the chase of the problem and she helps you find the way out of the labyrinth. Coaching gives me guidance when life gets confusing.”
Judith Theuerkauf, Promotionscoachingkundin

“You took a seemingly complicated situation and helped me realize it was in reality a simple problem with real and practical solutions. This is a great talent you have.”
A. A., Lifecoachingkundin